As the days lengthen and the earth warms, there is no doubt that spring is finally here. Also arriving are the lucky birds that spent their winter in a more tropical climate. Welcome their beauty and songs by preparing your garden for their spring needs.

Foremost on any bird’s mind in spring is nesting! Be sure your nest boxes are cleaned and set out by April for returning bluebirds and wrens. Birds that remain all winter, such as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers, can also put nest boxes to good use, so feel free to put the boxes up early. A good nest box will have a floor at least 4 inches square, an entrance hole between 1-1/8 and 1-1/2 inches wide, and a door for easy cleaning.

Robins and other birds that don’t eat seed will rely on fruit and berries on chilly spring days. Plants like crabapple, holly and juniper hold their fruit throughout winter and are sure to attract early migrants in search of a meal. They will also eat raisins, dried cherries, or chopped apple placed on a platform-type feeder.

Squirrels are having their first babies of the year, and those young ‘uns can be cute, but they have some springtime habits that bother some gardeners. Baby squirrels that are teething will often litter the ground with chewed up twigs. This will not hurt a healthy tree, but it can get messy. Squirrels of all ages will eat the plump buds on trees and shrubs as their nut supplies run low; again, this won’t damage healthy plants.

Thank a squirrel the next time you enjoy maple syrup! Native Americans saw squirrels chew little holes in the bark of maple trees, then return after the sap had run and dried, leaving behind sugar crystals. Soon the tribes had discovered how to extract large quantities of sap, and this knowledge was passed on to European settlers. Keep an eye on sugar maples in March to see if 21st-century squirrels still have a sweet tooth.